Bored during the pandemic? Maybe you should try betting fake money on a league of simulated baseball teams where imaginary players like Jessica Telephone and Jaylen Hotdogfingers are regularly incinerated, undergo life-altering surgeries, and become … encased in giant peanut shells?
Welcome to Blaseball, the absurdist browser-based game that has captured thousands of imaginations and spawned an obsessive fandom that creates art, backstories, podcasts, multi-verse wikis, and even music about the events that transpire on the simulated field — which is then incorporated into the game itself.
Alli and Jen talk with Felix Kramer, a member of the Blaseball development team, as well as Elliot Trinidad and Bria Davis, two volunteer “groundskeepers” who manage the game’s rocketing community. They discuss what makes “Blaseball” so special, why the fandom is radically different than those around scripted entertainment, and their plans for the new season in 2021.
Listen to episode 166 of #2G1P here:
Or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts!
Additional music in this episode courtesy of The Garages.
